1. Field of the Invention
This patent relates to a device for protecting items such as household appliances from damage during shipping and handling. More specifically, this patent relates to a protective device formed from a single piece of laminated paperboard that can be folded into a hollow tubular shape when ready to be used.
2. Description of the Related Art
Protective devices consisting essentially of paper tubes are used to support and cushion the corners of large appliances (such as washers, dryers and the like) during storage and transport. Conventional protective devices, such as the highly successful Sonopost(copyright) protective device, typically are formed from two or more plies of convolutely wound laminated paperboard formed into a protective shape on a mandrel and then dried into the finished shaped tubular form.
A disadvantage such of conventional convolutely wound protective devices is that they can only be made from a single type of paperboard, since the paperboard is fed from a single roll onto the mandrel. This disadvantage was addressed in Qiu U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,329, commonly owned with this invention, which describes a support post made of multiple sheets of paperboard joined together edge-to-edge to form a roll. The roll is then convolutely wound onto a mandrel, formed, and dried to produce a hollow tubular protective post. The protective post can be made from more than one type of paper, or from paper having different orientations, or from cross-laminated paper.
However, the finished product is a hollow tubular protective that takes up as much room during shipping and storing as conventional convolutely wound protective devices. There exists a need for a protective device that can made from more than one type of paper, or from paper having different orientations, or from cross-laminated paper, but can be shipped and stored in a substantially flat configuration and then folded to shape when ready to use.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a single piece protective post that can be stacked or nested in an unfolded position and then folded into the desired shape when ready for use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a single piece protective post that can be made from more than one type of paper.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a protective post that can be made from paper layered in different orientations.
Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.
The present invention is a single piece protective device that can be stacked or nested in an unfolded position and then folded into the desired shape when ready for use. The device is made from a substantially rectangular sheet of laminated paperboard. The sheet comprises a hinged area running longitudinally from top to the bottom, an outer wall portion extending from the hinged area and terminating in a connecting portion, and an inner wall portion extending from the hinged area away from the outer wall portion and terminating in another connecting portion.
Preferably, the hinged area comprises a plurality of longitudinal creases. Each crease can extend the entire height of the sheet or less than the entire height of the sheet. In the latter instance, the creases may be staggered. The hinged area may comprise smooth, uncreased horizontal sections disposed between the staggered creases.
The sheet is made of multiple plies of material laminated together. The plies can be made from different types of paperboard, may be oriented in different directions, or may be cross-laminated to achieve desired structural properties.
The protective device may be L-shaped to protect the corner of a packaged article or I-shaped to protect the side walls of an article. In either case the unfolded sheets are nestable for efficient storage and shipping.
When folded to form the finished protective device, the connecting portions may form a snap fit. Alternatively, the connecting portions may be glued, stitched or stapled together. The walls may have integrally formed beads or grooves for added strength.